


Alchemical Synthesis

by Willowingends



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: BAMF Lily Luna Potter, Description of Injuries, Drinking, Gen, Healer Draco Malfoy, Lily Luna Potter-centric, No Romance, Not Harry Potter and the Cursed Child Compliant, Original Character(s), POV Lily Luna Potter, Post-Canon, Potions, Potions Accident, Potionsmaster Lily Luna Potter, Ravenclaw Lily Luna Potter, Strained Relationships, squib Lily Luna Potter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 23:53:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29741799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willowingends/pseuds/Willowingends
Summary: Lily Luna Potter has always chased after success. She has always done everything she can to climb her way to the top, despite everything that has always worked against her. It's the Weasley family stubbornness, it's the spite to prove everyone wrong. Including her family.Or Lily has always had a flare for potions and she won't let anything stand in the way of her chosen career.
Relationships: Lily Luna Potter & Family
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been working on this fic for nigh on six years now and it's finally done. It's been my pet project and I just love Lily Luna a lot. I have a lot of opinions on her. I really hope you enjoy this fic. Thank you for reading it.

_ Knowing one's path is half the battle. _

_ Knowing the recipe or formula is another. _

_ One is not enough without the other. _

_ One must know where they are going _

_ As well as what they are doing. _

_ Otherwise, what is the point of experimentation? _

**-An Introduction to Experimentation by Thaddeus Meriwinkle**

The alarm rang loudly throughout the rest of the house, a counterpoint to angry hooting. The sharp ringing echoed through the cream colored halls, down through the sparse kitchen, and through the tiny living room that only held a couch and a coffee table. No carpet muffled the sound, the wood of the apartment enhancing the noise. And the ringing seemed to bounce off the steal door that loomed ominously at the far end of the house. The longer the ringing continued, the more solid the door appeared to become.

Suddenly, the sound cut off. A tired groan filled the house to replace it. “ _ Shut  _ it Arl!” A rather angry voice croaked out from under a pile of blankets. The hand that had reached out to turn the alarm off now hooked around the clock like a claw. It was quickly brought to the bed and pulled under the numerous quilts piled there.

The blankets immediately fell forward as the body under them sat up suddenly. The light brown hands shook the clock slightly as though that could change the time displayed there.

“No, no, no, no!”

Feet hit the floor with a loud smack followed by a loud hissing breath. The feet danced up and down on the cold, hard wood before the woman pushed herself the rest of the way out of the bed. Mincing steps carried her across the tiny bedroom across to the closet. Jumping up and down in front of the collection of clothes, she rifled madly through the hangers.

“Merlin's Balls, Morgan's tits!” She grabbed at a hanger of black clothes before tossing them back on to the bronze bed sheets. The sweater and leggings fell separately as the hanger clattered against the headboard. She was gonna hate herself when she had to clean that up later, but for now she was concerned with growling at the unrelenting closet. “Where the  _ bloody hell _ are t-There!”

Yanking a set of long black robes down from a hanger, she immediately began shucking off her pajamas. She exchanged them for a t-shirt and leggings, before pulling the robes down over her head. “Only need them one time per bloody year it seems. Never touch them any other time. And I can't even find them when I need them!” She hissed to herself. She hopped on one foot as she tugged her socks on and then went racing for the front door.

She stopped a moment in the tiny entrance hall to pull on her boots. A large, Great-Horned owl hooted pointedly at her and she stuck out her tongue. “You want food do you? Well, maybe you should have woken me up earlier! You knew I didn't want to sleep in!” She smiled fondly at the owl and tapped his beak before pouring some owl pellets in to his bowl. “There you go, you silly feather brain.”

The owl hooted back at her in a scornful manner, blinking his amber eyes before twisting his head around to face the other direction. The woman nodded, eyes darkening to a rich brown. “You're absolutely right. I should get going. You've made me late enough as it is.”

With that, she turned and hurried out the front door, pulling it closed behind her. She turned and locked it, double checking that it locked properly. The last thing she needed was someone sneaking in and snooping around. She pressed her hand against the solid wood and inhaled deeply. She raised her head with a determined look and took off at a fast gait. She hurried out of her apartment and in to the bustling streets of London where her black robes stuck out like a sore thumb.

Darting in between the throng of people, she glanced up at the sky and scowled at the dreary clouds above her. She dearly hoped they didn't decide to open up and pour down on her. That was the very last thing she needed. Then she'd have to listen to her parents' friends about how it was a bad sign for the coming endeavor. They'd have her believe it was a specific sign for her, as though London didn't house thousands of people. As though London wasn't overcast almost every day.

Not everything was doomed, no matter what the weather told those who acted as though they could read the signs presented there.

Divination had always been a practice she frowned upon. Too much guesswork, not enough proven results. Not enough to write down, to measure, to take stock of. Only one prophecy out of every hundred made seemed to ever play out the way predicted. She counted herself among the lucky few who had never had to come in contact with the study. 

She had enough random chance built against her. She didn't need to go purposely searching out what other forces were working against her. 

Pushing her way through the thronging crowds, the short woman found no time to apologize to all the business men and women whom she pushed by, nor the youths making their way to school. She didn't even take notice of those like her who didn't quite fit in either category, and yet were still up so early. The ones who had just entered the world on unsteady feet, who searched for their way in to the world. 

She stopped on a corner, her head turning this way and that, back and forth, left and right. Worrying away on her soft lips, she attempted to recall something that should be so very simple. Which way she was meant to go. She had visited so many times with her father as a child, but that had been years ago. She had avoided the buildings as much as she could once she was no longer required to check in every couple of months. One wasn't expected to return to a place that held unpleasant memories, were they?

But now she wished she had. Wished she had paid a bit more attention. Wished that, just maybe, some tiny part of her mind had thought it prudent to tuck away the directions in her mind. But there had been so much to learn back then, and little time to spare to what had seemed so pointless then.

On any normal day, she would look around for signs. She was familiar with the faces of those who worked in the building she was looking for. She was familiar with their style of dress, how their hands swung beside their body as though always reaching for something. Logically she could make deductions based on those signs if given time. Time was not something she had now.

There was no helping it now. Looking down at her wrist watch, she crinkled her nose. Fifteen minutes left before she was well and truly late. She would just have to pick a path and go with it. And hope with all her being that she picked the right way.

Turning left, she darted between the people again. Her robes flowed around her, but they didn't snap around her. Not yet, she hadn't worn them enough to have mastered that art. She knew a lot of people didn't like the intimidation factor that that movement added to their gait, but she knew intimidation could be the difference between success and failure in some cases.

However, the robes seemed to help clear people out of her way at the moment. As though they didn't want to touch her. To be associated with her. Perhaps that was a bad sign. After all, it wouldn't be all that great if no one wanted to trust her work just because they didn't trust her.

But then, up ahead, the view she had been searching for. A delighted sound escaped her despite her best efforts. She sped up her pace, nearly shoving people aside. Only a few moments left now to spare.

Feet fell heavily on the concrete sidewalk, the sound of puffing breathing, soft curses, all were cut off as the young woman turned sharply and ducked in to the red telephone booth. Her fingers fumbled over the numbers, shaking as she tried frantically to type in the right order. Three minutes left.

Six, two, four, four, two.

The woman rested her head against the cool glass, wiping the sweat off of the back of her tan neck. Her dark brown eyes darted up and around the surrounding area as the booth jolted suddenly. A satisfied smirk came to her lips as she started descending with the booth.

“Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and your reason for visiting us today.” A cool woman's voice echoed out of the phone's speaker.

Pushing her red hair back out of her face, the woman braced her hand against the glass as she lifted her head. “Lily Potter, Registration for the Potionsmaster Exam.”


	2. Chapter 2

_ There's a thirst to prove yourself. _

_ There's always that hunger. _

_ So many think they can brew a potion, make _

_ a poultice, that it takes no special skill.  _

_ You will always want to show them what a true _

_ potionsmaster can do. _

**-A Guide to Potions Mastery by Z.B. Urnth**

  
  


With the little badge pinned to her robes, Lily waited in the short security check line. Some things never changed, she mused as she looked around the large entrance hall. The flow of people through the ministry from the fireplaces, the conversations that swirled through the Atrium. She could hear people talking loudly about Floo safety, recent lifts on bans as well as recently instated ones, and the gossip of a workplace with way too many people crammed in to too few offices. The same issues she'd been hearing at family dinners all her life in one manner or another. 

She'd have to thank Grandma Molly for banning such conversation at the table, restricting it solely to the drawing room that Lily hardly ever had reason to go in to.

Her eyes wandered over the suits and robes, then up again at the arching ceiling that reflected bright lights and a rainbow from the fountain that was the centerpiece of the large entrance hall. The wizard with all his fellows gazing at him for guidance had always unsettled her, though according to her Uncle Ron, it was a lot better than what  _ had _ been there temporarily. Her eyebrows wrinkled inwards. Weren't they supposed to have replaced that last year anyway? She'd have to ask Uncle Percy about what had happened about that.

“Next.” A bored voice called in front of her, and Lily turned. A nervous smile fluttered across her lips as she took the few steps forward to the booth.

The older woman sitting inside didn't even glance up as she held out her hand. “Wand.” They requested.

A nervous twitch, Lily's fingers twitched in to a fist before she forced herself to relax. “I don't have one.” She said in an even voice. She glanced down at her watch. She'd tried to give herself a window for complications like this, but waking up late, getting lost, that had shortened the amount of time she had for this delay greatly. She tried to not let that show on her face as she gazed at the woman who's eyes had snapped up to her.

“You're holding up the line ma'am. Just hand over your wand.”

Lily grit her teeth. “I  _ don't _ have one.” She repeated. She leaned forward on the counter, her little badge flashing her name in the woman's face. “And I have an appointment in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement that  _ you _ are going to make me late for.” 

Normally Lily wouldn't use her family name to get things she wanted. It made her feel cheap, made her feel as though people thought she could coast through life when she worked ridiculously hard for everything that she had accomplished. But giving an explanation for why she didn't have a wand would take too long for her right now. Even though she had thought everyone had learned the cause back in her third year.

She still had to get to the elevators and get to the third floor though. So sliding by on her family name would have to be enough.

The woman had paled a bit when she saw Lily's last name, but her lips formed a thin line. “Go ahead, but know that I  _ will _ be reporting this to the Minister of Magic himself. If  _ anything _ happens today you will be the first to be investigated.” The woman said coldly, quietly. 

Lily smirked, though a sick feeling coiled in her stomach. “You do that.” She responded with a cold, polite smile of her own before the twenty year-old swept passed the booth. Spotting an open elevator, she discarded the expected decorum for the Atrium and dashed forward. Squeezing herself between two larger men, she tucked herself close to the front and against the wall, ignoring the eyes glancing towards her curiously.

Now away from the heaving crowd and the accusatory eyes of the witch at the check-in, Lily could feel the nerves settle in to her skin. Not about the test registration. That wouldn't be a hassle. She hoped. No, she was more nervous about using her last name to get in to the Ministry in the first place. It would probably end up in the papers. And then her father would ask why she felt the need to use her name in the first place.

Which would lead to her father being disappointed that she didn't feel confident enough in herself to explain things. He wouldn't get that it wasn't the lack of confidence, it was the hassle of going through the entire process. Through explaining herself, through answering probing questions that people had no right to ask.

Lily shook herself as the elevator lady's voice announced they were on the second floor. Now wasn't the time to dwell upon those hassles. Those would come later. She just had to make it to the correct office on time. 

Focusing on the movement of the elevator, Lily ran through the requirements once more in her head, patting her hands over the robes she had prepared three nights before. She had put all of the papers inside the pockets, and she could hear them crinkling now. Letting out a low breath of air, Lily looked up towards the opening doors. Her eyes shown with confidence.

“ _ Level Three, Department of Magical Law Enforcement.” _

Pushing her way forward from between the two men, Lily stepped out in to the bustling office space. Wiggling her fingers at a few familiar faces, former classmates and faces she'd encountered all her life, Lily slide between cubicles and stacks of reference books. She stopped at the edge of a doorway and popped her head around the corner, barely avoiding the plaque that declared that the office belonged to the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

“Auntie Hermione.” She greeted brightly.

The bushy haired, dark skinned witch turned, her wand stuck behind her ear and a finger pressed against the book on her desk, marking her place. Her dark brown eyes brightened as they saw her niece. “Lily.” She greeted warmly. “I wasn't expecting you, if you came for a visit I'm going to have to ask you to come back for lunch. I'm afraid I'm  _ really _ busy at the moment.”

“No, no. I'm actually really in a rush right now. I just need to know where the license registration office is.” 

Auntie Hermione's face lit up, “So you're going for your mastery after all? That's absolutely wonderful!” Lily smiled awkwardly down at the floor, nodding her head. “I know you'll do terrific. Do you have a test date yet? I know that they've got one coming up in August, that's only a few months away. Will that be enough time to prepare?”

“Auntie!” 

Lily interrupted quickly, her cheeks as red as her bright red hair. As Auntie Hermione fell silent, Lily tapped at her wrist even though there wasn't a watch there. 

“Right.” The older woman replied, an amused smile on her lips. “Go down the hall and to the left. It'll be the oak door right there. Mr. Winston will be there himself, his assistant is on maternity leave.”

Nodding and repeating the directions in her head, Lily turned and hurried on down the hall. Surely she would make it in time. She wasn't going to get lost in the department at least. She just hoped that the man didn't think that her mussed up hair implied carelessness.

Carelessness was the last thing she wanted to reflect. Carelessness in a mastery was dangerous, it didn't matter what subject one was pursuing. Her lips stretched in to a tight line as she tried to brush away the fly away hairs she knew she had. She just  _ knew _ that they were sticking up everywhere.

Turning left, she sighed in relief as she saw the oak door her Auntie had mentioned. Stopping right before the door, she breathed in deeply and tried to push everything out of her mind besides her confidence in her success. 

Lily pushed open the door slowly and looked inside, smiling at the sight of the older wizard sitting at the table. “Mr. Winston?” She asked, attempting at a casual manner. 

Leaning back in his chair, the salt and pepper man pushed his glasses up to get a clearer look at the girl. He nodded his head at her question and gestured for her to take her seat. Waiting in silence until she was seated, he glanced down at a stack of papers and tapped his wand against them. Lily couldn't help but watch enviously as the papers reshuffled themselves. That would make life so much easier.

“Potter, correct?” He said after a moment. Lily nodded and waited for him to speak again. It felt as though Devil's Snare had coiled around her throat, choking her ability to say anything. He hummed as he looked over her application. “You have your NEWTs and sponsorship paper?”

Fumbling, Lily pulled the papers out of the pocket of her robes and slide them on to the table. “A-All right here sir.” She stuttered out. He didn't even acknowledge that she had spoken, instead picking up the papers and going through them.

“A in theory of magic, Es in astronomy, herbology, and alchemy, and an O in potions.” He read back to her, and even though she knew those were good grades, she couldn't help but squirm at the way he said them. As though they were easy to dismiss. “A notorious lack of practical applications of magic I see.”

Lily's lip curled up slightly, her chin tilting up at the challenge she read in those words. “I think you'd agree, sir, that a practical use of magic isn't required in this field. I'd have an assistant to cast any stasis, temperature, and shield charms. I know other potionmasters have them.”

Mr. Winston raised up his hand, stilling her tirade. “You sound remarkably like your Aunt when you perceive a wrong against you, Miss Potter.” He said, bored. “Which I do prefer to your mother's legendary temper. But I wasn't insulting you, I was simply stating what others would see. These grades are more than worthy of taking the test. The sponsorship from your potions teacher is also quite glowing.”

Another slight jab, in Lily's opinion. Everyone knew how easy it was to get Slughorn to sponsor you if you had a good family name, but everyone seemed to forget he noticed  _ talent _ as well. She bit her tongue on this topic though, and nodded her head for the man to continue. 

“Everything is in order as far as our grades and paperwork. However, you do realize this will be a quite arduous task, correct?”

Straightening her back, Lily scowled at the man. Her arms crossed and a fiery look came to her eyes. “Because I've taken a year off between Hogwarts and now? Or maybe it's because you think I got those grades because of my family name and they were afraid of failing me because of who I am? Or is it because I'm a  _ squib? _ ”

There was a tense moment of silence between them. Lily held herself tense for an argument, or perhaps pity. He hadn't outright said she couldn't take the test, and she'd fight for her right to get her mastery. She was used to fighting for everything after all. She had gone through all of Hogwarts fighting for her right to be there. Just getting in to the school had been a fight.

But she had made it through. She had dealt with the publicity, she had dealt with the jeering, the taunts, the bad grades. She had traded the practical for theory work though, she had dropped all the classes she had no interest in, no talent in, as soon as she finished her OWLs. Her Ravenclaw nature had her leaving behind Hogwarts her sixth year, studying at home while she did her A levels.

She wasn't ready to go in to university yet, she had wanted to get her NEWTs, become a potionsmaster, and then return to muggle education. But she had gotten stellar grades on her A levels so she  _ could _ go to university when she was ready.

And she'd be damned if one man's lack of confidence in her would make her turn away from this path she had all mapped out. 

A long, tired sigh escaped from Mr. Winston. “No, Miss Potter. That's not what I'm trying to imply. While I do think it'll be difficult for you because of your squib status, I still think you have the right to take the test. Anyone who wants to subject themselves to such a rigorous examination is welcome to, in my opinion.” He tapped his wand against her paper and she watched as it flashed a bright green color. “It's just as I said, it's a difficult task for anyone.” 

Reaching across the table, he handed her a slip of paper with a test date, a location, and her name on it. “And I'll say the same thing to you that I have everyone who's signed up for this test. Good luck, Miss Potter.”

Ecstasy coursed through her as she clutched the paper. Her eyes roamed over it, before she held it tight to her chest as though it were a prized possession. This was when everything changed for her. This was when she truly proved herself.

“Thank you sir.” She said softly. With that she stood, excusing herself. Within moments she was back in the Atrium and in a petty move she stopped at the woman's desk, her eyes shining brightly. “I'll see myself out. Hopefully nothing happens later today, as you won't have an easy scapegoat, will you?”

Grinning at the woman's sour looking face, Lily all but skipped out of the Ministry and back up to muggle London. She had two months until August, two months to prepare.

No better time than the present to start. 

  
  



End file.
